National Republican., 1887-03-24
Under which King, B,zoninn 3?

In the absence of the organization OF
the interstate commission and the presence
Of the law, the railway managers of the
country are endeavoring to the best Of their
ability to construe that remarkable agglom-
Grafton Of words and sentences called the
interstate commerce act.
The fourth section is the one over which
they are now puzzling their brains. 1t
reads as follows:
SEC. L. That it shall be unlawful for any
common carrier subject to the provisions OF
this act to charge or receive any greater COM
pcnsatlon in the aggregate for the transporta
tion OF passengers or of like kind Of property,
under substantially similar circumstances and
conditions, for shorter than for n longer dis.
tance over the same line, in the same direc.
tioD, the shorter being included within the
longer distance: but this shall not be construed
as authorizing any common carrier within the
terms of this act to charge and receive as great
compensation for a shorter as for longer dis.
tance; Pr0ridCd, hoireuer, That upon applica-
tion to the commission appointed under the
provisions Of this act, such common carrier
may, in special cases, after investigation by
the commission, be authorized to charge less
for longer than for shorter distances for the
transportation Of passengers or property; and
the commission may from time to time pre-.
scribe the extent TO which such designated
common carrier may be relieved from the ope.
ration of this section Of this act.
One Of the greatest difficulties encoun-
tered In the Interpretation Of this section is
that its makers differed go widely as to It's
meaning. Senator Cullom, In reply to direct
questions, declared that this language did
not require greater charge for long than
short haul when water or rail competition
operated to alter circumstances and
conditions. On the other hand, Mr.. Crisp,
Of Georgia, who In the absence Of Mr..
Reagan had charge Of the bill in the House,
declared that competition did not Justify a
difference In rates, and that the law was
intended to abolish distinctions In charges.
Railroad managers can choose under
which king they propose to serve, and they
will probably adopt that conclusion which
comedies best with the interests of the
property they manage. Thus in the east
where local traffic forms the largest part oi
the railway business, they will adopt Mr.
Crisp's definition, and In the south and
west, where the local business is small, and
through freights constitute the bulk of the
traffic, they will take Senator Cullom's.
OF course this will create great confusion
and result in unsettling the business of thu
country; in fact that is already being done
The New York Central, on which s5 pc
cent. of the entire business is between Buf
falo and New York, will not lower the rate
Of that state business, free from the con.
troll of the interstate commission, for tho /!
per cent. which comes from west of Buffal,
and from other states. The other trunl
lines, though not so favorably situated a
the New York Central, will adopt the sam
policy, and the rates for the "long haul
will inevitably go up.
The result will be additional burden
upon the producers Of the west and soutl
and the consumers Of the east. Perhaps tn
commission may untangle the twisted skein